Choices Made in Blue Swirls
by fbiwoman223
Summary: My response to the "White Lines" spoilers. Jane goes on a date, but while he's away, an event occurs that will change his life forever. Eventual Jisbon. Rated T for language and violence-nothing too graphic.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**: Here it is, my very first official Mentalist fic. Submitting this is both exhilarating and terrifying, but it's something I've wanted to do for a while. Please give it a shot and let me know what you think. I am always open to constructive criticism.

**Disclaimer**: If I owned them, I would be hiring more talented fic writers than I to be doing things we would all voyeuristically enjoy.

Patrick Jane was going on a date. A real, honest to goodness, flower buying, expensive dining, tie wearing date.

And the very thought of it made Teresa Lisbon slightly nauseous.

Jane had met his future dinner companion on their most recent case. They were investigating an interstate drug ring with connections in the Austin area, and were interviewing one of their informants at an upscale downtown resort. Just before Lisbon had finished with her questions, _she_ had walked up to their table.

The change in Jane's posture was what had alerted Lisbon to her approach. She followed his line of vision to the tall, blonde figure in white whose ample assets were making all of the males in the vicinity go on high alert. Jane was not immune, and she had noticed him slightly clear his throat before he plastered on his most devastating smile.

The blonde was not immune either, it seemed. Lisbon had seen her steps falter slightly as her eyes landed on Jane. On a regular day, Jane was enough to make any breathing female look twice, but when he turned on that smile, it was a whole different ball game.

The woman had introduced herself as Krystal. Her voice was soft, breathy, and Lisbon hated her immediately. Krystal (With a "K," Lisbon thought disgustedly. She'd only ever met strippers and junkies who spelled Krystal with a "K".) was staying at the resort and had just happened to be passing through the restaurant when she spotted Jane. It wasn't until Lisbon had flashed her badge that she got the hint to let them get back to their interview. As she sauntered away, hips swaying slightly, Jane had quietly excused himself and hurried after her.

Lisbon ended the interview fairly quickly and tried not to stare incredulously as Jane had pulled out his phone to get Krystal's number. Her jaw clenched in irritation as Krystal threw back her head and laughed at something Jane said, her fingers reaching out to lightly play with his sleeve.

When he all but skipped back to her, a dreamy grin lingering on his face, it took everything she had to not un-holster her gun and start firing like a lunatic.

She hadn't even waited for him to make it back to her side before she turned and strode out of the restaurant. If he had noticed the change in her demeanor, he didn't say anything. He didn't say anything when she'd sat in the car and shut her door more forcibly than necessary. He didn't say anything when she jammed the key into the ignition and forced the SUV to life. And he didn't say anything when her usually smooth driving was punctuated with sharp turns, aggressive braking, and a stream of muttered obscenities.

It wasn't until they'd hit a slight traffic jam on the I-35 that she'd been brave enough to glance over at him. He'd been sitting there calm as could be, a small smile still on his lips and a far away look in his eye.

Her knuckles had whitened on the steering wheel, and before she could stop herself, the words tumbled out of her mouth.

"Hot date tonight?"

Whoa. Did she really sound that bitter and angry? Thankfully, he didn't seem to have heard her, so she'd forced herself to take a deep breath and try again.

"Jane?" There, that was better. Much more in control. However, he still didn't respond.

"_Jane."_ This time, she'd made a breakthrough. He'd blinked a couple of times before he turned his head towards her.

"Hmm? Did you say something?"

"I asked you if you had a hot date tonight."

One golden eyebrow had arched amusedly at her, as if he found the question absurd.

"Did you see her?"

"Of _course_ I saw her!"

"Then you should know the answer to that question."

Lisbon hadn't said anything more after that. Neither had Jane. He was apparently content to stare off into space with that same small smile on his lips.

She'd wanted to punch him in the mouth.

She still did, and they'd returned to HQ three hours ago. Now, as she sat at her desk in the bullpen, she wished fervently for her old CBI office. There, she could have pulled the blinds shut, closed the door, and sorted all of this out.

Here, she was out in the open, exposed. Expected to maintain an aura of professional decorum when all she wanted to do was scream. Or cry. Or just sit with her head on her desk until she felt like she could confront the world with her game face on.

That game face, however, was getting harder and harder each day to put on. Quite frankly, she was tired of wearing it. She had spent two years thinking about what her life would be like if Patrick Jane came back into it. Sitting in a bullpen in Texas while the suppressed romantic in her threw an internal tantrum was not even close to one of the many fantasies she had allowed herself during his absence.

A throat clearing snapped her out of her thoughts. She hadn't even detected someone approaching her desk. She really needed to get a hold of herself.

The object of her most recent ruminations stood just to her right. He had a shirt in each hand and a frustrated look on his face.

"I can't decide which one of these to wear. I need a woman's opinion." He shook the shirts for emphasis.

"Jane, I'm busy. Why don't you go ask Fischer? Or Arlene over in accounting?"

Jane rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated huff. "Please, Lisbon? If I'd wanted their input, I wouldn't be here asking you."

She looked up into his face and was about to snap out a reply when the look in his eyes stopped her. He projected an air of confidence, but his eyes were uncertain, hesitant. Instantly, she was ashamed of herself. She was his friend, after all, and she should be happy that he was finally moving on. Isn't this what she'd always hoped for him? It wasn't his fault that she couldn't control her emotional state.

With a small sigh, she took a closer look at the shirts. Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Jane, these look exactly the same."

"Why would I ask you to choose between two identical shirts, Lisbon? This one is white with gray swirls and this one has light blue."

"Did your island tailor only have one kind of pattern or what?"

"He liked what he liked. And if you didn't want to walk around naked, you liked what he liked. Anyway, you're stalling."

"Go with the blue. Sounds cliché, but it highlights your eyes."

He gave her a huge smile, threw out a quick "thank you" and hurried towards the restroom.

Her returning smile had started to fade as soon as he turned his back to her, and it was completely gone by the time Abbott's approaching figure reached her desk.

"Lisbon, we're up. Got a call from Austin PD about a shipment coming into a network of private docks on the Colorado. We're going to rendezvous with locals in 40 minutes. Cho and Fischer will meet us there. Jane's presence is not strictly necessary, but an extra pair of eyes might be beneficial. Be at the garage in five."

With a sigh, Lisbon stood and made her way to the men's restroom. She knocked on the door and cautiously opened it a crack. "Jane, you in there?"

"As far as I know. You, however, are a little out of place here. What's so urgent that you risk exposure to your coworker's…appendages?"

"Can you just come over to the door so I can talk to you without having to come in there?"

She heard his footsteps and suddenly, he was in front of her, a bemused expression on his face. Her breath caught a little in her throat. She was right—the shirt really did bring out his eyes. Eyes that were now looking at her with a mixture of curiosity and something else she couldn't quite identify.

"We've got a pretty big potential bust about to go down. Abbott says your insights might be beneficial if you want to tag along. I know you have plans, but I thought maybe you'd want to be there. Besides," she added with a smirk, "God only knows who they'll partner me with if you're not around."

He allowed her a small smile before gently shaking his head. "Lisbon, this is my first chance at normalcy since I've been back. My only plans for tonight are to enjoy the company of a beautiful woman over a hopefully decent meal. I'm not going to pass that up to go sit in a dark van by some dark warehouse in a seedy neighborhood. I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, he retreated back into the restroom, the door closing gently in her face.

She turned and headed for the stairwell. It had been a long shot, she knew, but why did she still feel disappointed? He had decided to go on his date, and she couldn't really blame him. Her annoyingly persistent suppressed romantic decided, at that moment, to get in on the game.

_You're upset because, subconsciously, you asked him to make a choice. He didn't choose you, and you're mad because you knew that what you were offering wasn't comparable to what he'd be giving up, but you held out the irrational hope that he would still choose you anyway._

"Shut the hell up," she muttered to herself as she pushed open the door. If she couldn't get Jane and his date out of her head, this was going to be a long, torturous night.

**Next up, Jane's date. I'm not exactly sure about his POV, but I'll give it a shot. How have I done so far? I would really love to hear from you.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**: I would like to take a moment to thank each of you who took the time to read, and especially to those of you who graced me with a review, follow or favorite. You have definitely helped to make this nerve-wracking experience a little easier.

For what it's worth, I also believe that in the show, Jane's date will be case related.

Oh, and I will probably never update this fast again. :) I had this chapter pretty much done, and I wanted to get it posted before tomorrow, as I will be away for most of the day. I hope you enjoy!

For his first real date in more years that he felt like calculating, Patrick Jane had decided to go simple, yet elegant. Dinner at a mid-priced establishment with soft lighting, soft music and just the right amount of intrinsic charm seemed the safe and easy way to reintroduce his rusty social psyche to the potential awkwardness of a first date.

He stood in the foyer of_ Serata Incantata_, an Italian place across the street from one of his favorite tea shops. He'd always wanted to try it, but this wasn't the kind of place one dined alone, and he certainly wasn't going to ask Cho along for a candlelit dinner.

At that moment, his cell phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket to see Cho's number flash on the screen. He smiled a bit at the irony and then pressed a button to silence the ring. Tonight was about him. The FBI would just have to handle their decisions on their own. He would help them sort out the repercussions later.

The door behind him opened, and he swallowed audibly as his date walked toward him. She was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen; a vision in silver. Her hair was pulled up and away from her face, with blonde curls falling in cascading curls over one shoulder. A mid length, silver cocktail dress shimmered in the muted light and the soft smile she wore made his breath catch in his throat.

He held out his arm as she drew closer and escorted her to their table. His nose detected a faint hint of flowers, so unlike the spicy cinnamon he had grown accustomed to.

Whoa. Where had that come from? He would not be thinking about Lisbon tonight. It wasn't fair to him or to Krystal. Yet, he couldn't shake the almost automatic urge to start compiling comparisons to the most prevalent female in his life.

Quickly, he shut the door on that room in his memory palace. He was determined to project some sort of normalcy this evening. There would be no talk of serial killers, cases, or anything too closely related to law enforcement tonight.

It seemed fate's plan to contradict him as his phone rang yet again. He sheepishly apologized to Krystal as he opened it to see Abbott's number this time. Once again, he quieted the phone, and after a moment of contemplation, thumbed the button to shut it down. If his input was so important, Abbott should have had the foresight to require his presence. His time was his time, and the FBI could wait.

He slipped his phone back into his pocket and smiled at Krystal. Tonight would be a beautiful evening.

The next morning, Jane awoke with a smile on his face. It stayed there as he stepped into the small shower of his Airstream. It didn't falter as he prepared his tea. It grew bigger when he thought of their plans for tonight. Krystal had mentioned that she had always wanted to attend a dinner theater, but she had never gone because no one in her immediate circle had an appreciation for the arts.

Jane had jumped at the chance to suggest a second date and had been beyond pleased when she seemed just as eager to spend another evening with him. He ignored the voice in his head that sounded strangely like Lisbon, telling him to slow things down. Krystal was just an acquaintance. A beautiful one, but still, just an acquaintance.

The added bonus that Lisbon had seemed to be a little jealous was something he took a perverse sense of pleasure in. She'd hidden it well, almost too well. Her masking skills had greatly improved in the years he'd been gone. She was not, however, skilled enough to hide completely from him. He hadn't missed the simmering anger in her countenance after their interview yesterday. Before she slipped into Agent Lisbon, Teresa had made an appearance.

And Teresa had been jealous. He'd be lying to himself if he didn't revel in that just a little bit. After these last couple of years, it felt good to bask in the attention of females he could actually understand.

It had been harder than he thought to completely push her out of his mind during his date. While he was perusing the menu, he couldn't help but think of what she might order had she been there. Krystal had ordered the endive and water chestnut salad. Lisbon would have surely gone for the three meat lasagna, and just to spite him, the most expensive dessert on the menu.

The brown eyes across from his during dinner didn't have the playful sparkle that Lisbon's green orbs held. Those same eyes had let slip the briefest flash of pain when he'd talked to her outside the men's room yesterday.

If something was bothering her, he wished she would just talk to him about it. Lisbon was the only person he could tell anything to. Their conversations over the years had covered such a broad spectrum that he surmised that he could probably never get tired of talking to her. Conversation with Krystal had been…well, flat. After the prerequisite "where are you from, what do you do" niceties had been covered, he spent most of the night trying _not_ to talk about where he was from and what he did.

Krystal had had a lot of questions on that particular subject. She seemed fascinated with his job and had asked, repeatedly, about the cases he had worked on and the hours he kept. At the time, he had chalked it up to her assessing his potential as a life partner.

Now, however, without the tranquilizing combination of ambience and bellinis, a seed of suspicion entered his mind. With a shake of his head, he pushed those thoughts aside. He wasn't so out of practice that he wouldn't be able to detect if someone was making him a mark. Or was he?

Jane slipped on his shoes and frowned. Had he spent so much time around cops that he forgot what it was like to interact with normal, civilian people? Was he even capable of having a relationship, romantic or otherwise, with someone outside of law enforcement? Had he always been this paranoid?

With a slight laugh, Jane stepped out of his Airstream into the early morning sunshine. He would have to talk to Lisbon about this. She would be able to ground him, just like she always did. He had a feeling she would have a lot to say on the subject.

To say the bullpen was chaotic this morning would be like saying the Indy 500 was a quaint Sunday drive. When the elevator doors opened, Jane was nearly bowled over just from the noise alone.

He only made it a few feet into the madness when Cho appeared at his side. Before Jane could utter a word, the agent grabbed his arm and started dragging him through the crowd. His terse words would have stopped Jane in his tracks, had he not been being so forcibly pulled.

"Where the _fuck_ have you been?"

"It's 8:03, Cho. I know the Feds' attendance policy is a bit stricter, but that's no cause for profanity so early in the morning. Cho?"

When he got no reply, he started to take a closer look at his co-worker's appearance. At first glance, nothing seemed amiss. There was a slight darkening of the skin underneath his eyes, and his hair was just a bit mussed, like he had been repeatedly running his fingers through it. If you didn't know him, you wouldn't notice anything different. But Jane _did_ know him, and when his eyes found the slight wrinkle in Cho's normally perfectly pressed pants, his stomach did a little flop.

He could see a huddle of agents, including Abbott, gathered in the center of the room. It looked like they were just about to start a briefing. Jane scanned the crowd, hoping to find Lisbon so he could ask her what the hell was going on. Cho certainly wasn't giving him any answers.

They stopped abruptly before they reached the group, and Cho finally released his grip on Jane. It took all he could not to reach up and rub the spot on his forearm where the agent's vice-like grip had just vacated. He was sure he was going to have a bruise.

"He's here, Sir," Cho directed at Abbott's back. Abbott turned, and Jane was taken aback at the tiredness in the man's demeanor.

Abbott didn't say anything to him directly, but as he stepped up to the podium, he called for everyone to take a seat.

It was then that Jane found the green eyes he'd been searching for. Instead of projecting the warmth that he knew them to possess, they stared at him from the cool detachment of Abbott's high tech crime board.

**I'm sure most of you saw that coming. :) Let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: I would like to express my continued appreciation for the support I have received from this fandom. You have all made me feel very welcome, and I am sincerely thankful for all of you.**

**Oh, and happy Mentalist Sunday!**

When Lisbon finally regained consciousness, she was initially aware of only three things: she couldn't see, she couldn't move, and she had a headache bigger than the state of Texas. All in all, the official triad of a really bad morning.

Or was it afternoon? Automatically, she shook her head to try to clear the lingering cobwebs, then bit back a yelp at the flash of pain that spread across the top of her skull.

Focus. She had to focus. For a moment, she wished that she had taken advantage of the opportunity to have Jane teach her some of his biofeedback tricks. He had offered once, what seemed like eons ago, when she was having a particularly difficult time calming down after an intense interrogation .

At the time, she'd thanked him for his offer, but instead chose to alleviate her tension by firing round after round into a hapless paper target at the wrong end of her Glock 22.

Now, with no paper target in sight (actually, with _nothing_ in sight), Lisbon was forced to rely on her own methods of pain suppression to gain her bearings.

From what she could tell, she was blindfolded. It wasn't tied tightly enough to aggravate her head injury or to completely block out what she thought was sunlight streaming in. However, it was snug enough to not move at all when she tried to shift it upward with her shoulder.

Her hands were bound behind her back again, not tightly, but secure enough so that she knew she wasn't going to be able to finagle a way out of them. She also sensed a shackle around her right ankle, and when she lifted her leg slightly, she heard the sound of a chain clinking against the floor.

The floor itself was smooth and hard, contrasting the rough concrete that her back was up against. Both were cool to the touch, and she couldn't help the involuntary shiver as the temperature in the room finally sank into her skin. It was just cold enough to be unpleasant, but she wasn't going to freeze to death.

It was almost as if her captors wanted to keep her just slightly on the side of uncomfortable. This made her more uneasy than anything. She'd been through this before, and the inexperienced kidnappers always gave themselves away. Their bindings were too tight, the room was always too claustrophobic, and the constant need to check on their captives usually pointed to first timers.

She estimated that she had been awake for at least fifteen minutes, and the fact that her abductors had yet to make their presence known told her that they were either waiting for the right time to introduce themselves or so convinced that she would be unable to escape that they had left her behind in order to procure what they felt was an equivalent amount of value for her release.

Either way, she wasn't going anywhere.

Her eyes closed and her mind drifted back to the warehouse. If she could remember something about who brought her here, it might give her a better shot at getting out alive.

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_The convoy of SUVs had quietly pulled up ½ a mile before the entrance to the docks. The remaining distance to the warehouses would have to be covered on foot, so their presence would remain undetected for as long as possible._

_Abbott had requested the presence of Austin SWAT. The docks were home to three substantial warehouses, and he wanted to make sure that nothing got past them. _

_When they arrived at the docks, they had split into search teams of four. Abbott and Lisbon were partnered with three SWAT officers, while Cho and Fischer had two. The plan was for each group to search a warehouse and alert the officers standing by if they needed assistance._

_Lisbon and her team had taken the warehouse closest to the water. Once they'd entered the darkened storeroom, they'd split up to cover more ground. Lisbon and her SWAT partner had headed towards the back of the storeroom, their boots making no sound on the wooden floor._

_They had been just about ready to clear the northwest corner of the warehouse when Lisbon noticed something unusual. She motioned to her partner to follow her over to a stack of crates that seemed haphazardly arranged against the wall. Something about the way they were balanced didn't seem right to her. _

_During one of her many uneventful afternoons in Washington, when the drunks hadn't quite yet left the local watering hole and the few errant teenagers were out buying spray paint to once again deface the school, she had come across an intriguing article in one of the numerous police newsletters she subscribed to._

_In it, the author detailed the various ways that criminals were hiding their enterprises in plain sight. From secret doorways to concealing their products in the guise of anything from children's toys to a deck of cards, wrong-doers were getting smarter in concealing their illicit activities._

_There were stacks of crates all around the warehouse, but the one in front of her now seemed…off. She couldn't explain why, but when she looked at it, an uneasy feeling developed in the pit of her stomach. Her many years in law enforcement told her never to ignore a gut instinct, so she moved closer to the stack and gingerly began inspecting the outer edges._

_It was as she got around to the back edges that she figured out what had bothered her about this particular stack. Unless these crates were completely empty, there was no way they would be able to balance stably without toppling over. There was just a little too much overhang on the highest boxes for this stack to be so sturdy. To test her theory, she hoisted herself up on the lowest crate and tried to wiggle one of the centers out of place. It didn't budge. With a triumphant smile, she lowered herself back down to the floor and began searching the crates at ground level for a switch. _

_Her partner picked up on what she was doing, and began to search the opposite side. Lisbon wasn't sure which one of them hit the correct spot, but when a soft click sounded and a puzzle-piece shaped doorway hidden in the center of the stack swung inward, it took a bit of effort to suppress the excited "Woo hoo!" that wanted to escape from her throat._

_As she motioned for her partner to follow her down the set of stairs on the other side of the door, she pushed the call button on her vest. She didn't know what they were heading into, but she wanted to make sure that they would not be alone for long._

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A noise startled Lisbon back to the present. She strained to ascertain exactly where it had come from. From somewhere in front of her and to the right, a soft groan floated to her ears.

"Hello?" she called quietly, not wanting to startle whoever was in the room with her. "Can you hear me?"

Another quiet groan was her only reply. So, she tried again. "Hello? Who's there? Talk to me, please."

"My head…"

"I know it's tough, but I need you to concentrate. Can you tell me your name?"

"Yeah, Officer Heather Belding, Austin PD SWAT. You?"

"Officer Belding, it's Agent Teresa Lisbon. Are you hurt?"

"Not that I can tell, other'n my head feels like it's been trampled by a longhorn. Where are we?"

"I have no idea. I've been blindfolded, and I haven't been able to hear anything that might help me figure anything out. Can you see anything?"

"No, I'm blindfolded, too. My hands are secure behind my back…and I think I'm chained to the floor." Lisbon heard the clanking of a chain that sounded much like her own.

"Officer Belding—"

"Please, call me Heather."

"Heather, do you remember anything about how we got here?"

"No, I'm sorry. Last thing that comes to mind is followin' you down the stairs. Then nothin'."

Lisbon sighed, the last of her hope fading fast. "That's all I remember. And you can call me Teresa."

"Thanks."

The women sat in silence for a moment, each trying in vain to remember anything that might yield useful. Heather was the first to break the silence.

"Teresa?"

"Yes?"

"What do you think they want with us? Why are they holdin' us here? Has anyone come in to talk to you? Do you think they're gonna kill us?" Heather's voice grew more panicked with each question. Lisbon decided that she would be as honest as she could, without adding any more stress to the younger woman's already aggravated state of mind.

"I don't know, Heather. No one's come in here since I've been conscious. I don't think we should worry about what is going to happen until we can get a little more information. Try to focus on your breathing."

Lisbon heard Heather take a couple of deep breaths before she spoke again. "I'm sorry, Teresa. Didn't mean to lose my head. I'm findin' it's much scarier when you're right in the middle of the situation, y'know?"

"I get what you mean. I take it this is your first kidnapping?"

She smiled at Heather's snort of laughter. "Yes, ma'am. I take it it's not yours?"

Lisbon shook her head, then remembered that Heather couldn't see her. "No, I wish I could say that it was. And it never gets any easier. You just learn not to panic quite so quickly."

"Well, I'm hopin' I never learn that lesson, Teresa." She heard a chain rattle again as Heather shifted on the floor. "So, you got kids? Married?"

"Um, no. Married to the job too long, I guess. You?"

"Yeah. Been married for six years. We have two little ones. Samantha is eleven months. She just started to walk last week. Henry is three. Gets into everything."

"They sound adorable. Tell me more about them."

As Lisbon listened to Heather talk about the many highlights of her children's lives, her smile grew wistful. Once upon a time, she had envisioned that kind of life for herself. As the years went on, she had accepted that children might not be in the cards for her, but she had still held on to the hope that she would find someone that she could share her life with.

Someone with sea blue eyes, a paralyzing smile, soft blonde curls, and a mind that would make even the most educated mortals envious. Someone that, when she was having a bad day, would pour her a glass of wine and wrap himself around her on the couch while they watched reruns of "I Love Lucy" until she felt better. Someone who, when he spoke to her in that husky tone during his most conspiratorial moments, made her toes curl inside her shoes and her knees go weak. Someone who-

No. She would not think about him now. She _could_ not think about him now. She needed all of her wits about her, so she could hopefully get out of this room still breathing. And if she _was_ going to die here, it was not going to be while pining for a man who had firmly put her in her place in the "friend zone." He had made his choice, now, she was forced to make hers.

"Heather?"

Heather's voice stopped mid-sentence. "What? Did you hear somethin'?"

"No, I just…. We need to discuss what's going to happen when these people finally come in and tell us what the next phase of their plan for us is."

"Ooookay. What exactly do you have in mind?"

"I'm not going to lie and say that every kidnapping is unique. Most are inherently the same. They want something, and they are going to use us as leverage to get it. In this situation, however, we each have an advantage."

"Which is what?"

"Well, if they were to release one of us, they would be more apt to get what they want. Everyone knows that the first rule of good hostage negotiation is to give a little to get a little. If they let one of us go, that would more likely garner them favor with the FBI."

"And what's the advantage for us?"

"We're both law enforcement. We have the training to be able to pick up on things that regular civilians might not. That will help whichever one of us is let go to be able to give the team looking for us a bit more to go on. Which, coincidentally, brings me to my next point."

"Which is?"

Lisbon took a deep breath. "When we convince them to let one of us go, we convince them to let it be you." She cut off Heather's immediate protest. "It's the most logical choice, and you know it. First off, and I don't mean this the way it sounds, but a Federal Agent is going to carry more bargaining weight than a local officer. They're going to want to deal with the agency that is going to be able to have the best shot at getting them what they want. That's me."

"Yes, but-"

"But nothing. You also have a couple of kids who are waiting for you to come home. The job shouldn't ever come before your family. I know you know that."

Lisbon's tone held no room for argument, but Heather tried anyway. "Look, no one wants me to get back to my kids more than I do, but you can't be sayin' that your life is of any less value than mine. Just because I have kids, doesn't automatically make it so you shouldn't take the opportunity to get outta here. You'll probably see somethin' I won't. What if I'm not able to give them any help?"

"Don't sell yourself short, Heather. You're a SWAT officer. You didn't get to that level because you were slow on your feet. And those kids _do_ give your life priority." Lisbon closed her eyes as a vice of pain squeezed her heart. "There isn't anyone out there whose life would be irrevocably changed if I didn't make it out of here. But you…no one should ever have to grow up without a mother. Trust me on that one."

She heard Heather's sigh of acceptance. "All right. If they're willin' to let one of us go, I'll follow your lead and do my best to make sure it's me."

Lisbon closed her eyes as a mixture of fear and relief washed over her. "Thank you, Heather."

"Don't thank me yet. Not until we're both outta here."

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The worst thing about being blindfolded was the suspension of time. After Heather relented to her plan, both women were quiet. In the darkness, minutes could have been hours and hours could have been years. Lisbon had no idea how much time had passed when she heard the heavy clunk of a lock sliding open. A rush of air hit her body as a door swung open, and in an instant, she was on high alert.

"Hello, ladies. I trust you're both comfortable?"

Lisbon snorted. "Oh, absolutely. If it weren't for the absence of the fluffy towels, I'd think I was at the Ritz Carlton."

The voice gave a soft chuckle. "Good to see that rapier wit of yours make an appearance, Agent Lisbon. There is nothing I hate more than dull captives."

"That's funny," Lisbon snapped back, "because there's nothing I hate more than pompous captors."

"Now, now Agent. I'm all for a bit of clever back and forth, but I will not tolerate name calling. Cerebus, if you please."

Lisbon heard footsteps coming towards her, but was still unprepared for the swift kick that landed on her ribs. She bit back the automatic shout of pain and struggled to catch her breath. "Nice…touch," she wheezed out. "Steel…toed boots. Very…effective."

"Thank you," her captor replied. "What a nice compliment. Maybe I'll let you go after all."

"Are you kidding me?" Lisbon heard Heather exclaim from across the room. "You want a compliment? Here's a compliment: you smell wonderful today. Is that Au de Kidnapper?"

The voice chuckled again. Lisbon couldn't help but think that there was something familiar about it. Where had she heard this voice before?

"Very good, Officer Belding. You're making it very difficult to decide which one of you gets to leave."

"So," Lisbon replied, "you _are_ thinking of letting one of us go? Why?"

"I'm not stupid, my dear. Kidnapping was not invented yesterday, and as such, my knowledge of the dos and don'ts is quite extensive. I realize that I have a couple of very useful bargaining chips. And I've always loved a good gamble."

"Then how about a safe bet?" Lisbon offered. "If you've truly done your research, you know how far you're going to get with each of us. If it's power you want, keep me. If it's ruin you want, keep her."

More footsteps, softer this time, made their way to her side. She tensed, expecting a blow. Instead, a gloved hand caressed the side of her face. "And why, pray tell, will your release bring my ruin?"

"Because," Lisbon replied, her voice more controlled than she felt, "I am very good at my job. And I have nothing to lose. If you let me go, I will spend every waking minute making it my sole mission in life to hunt you down and take you out."

"Hmm. You're very confident for a woman chained to the floor." The hand caressed her face again, this time running its leather-clad fingers through her hair. "I'd be curious what you'd do if you weren't so…restrained."

Lisbon swallowed the bile that rose in her throat at his touch. She was thankful at that moment that she was blindfolded, for she was she wouldn't be able to hide the fear and revulsion in her eyes.

"Though I'm tempted to call your bluff, Agent, I do believe it would be in my best interest to keep my trump card close. Cerebus, would you please unchain Officer Belding? Keep the blindfold on. I'll meet you both upstairs shortly."

Lisbon heard the door click shut. She'd only heard two pairs of footsteps leave, however, so she knew he was still in the room with her. "Are you going to say something? Or are you just going to stand there like a creep and stare at me?"

"Very good, Lisbon. Your powers of observation sure have increased over the years. I suppose, now that Officer Belding is gone, I can rid you of that blindfold. After all, I already know who I am."

She felt the cloth around her eyes loosen, and then fall away. It took a second for her to adjust to the dim lighting in the room. When they did, she looked into the face of her captor. Her eyes widened in recognition.

And in that moment, Teresa Lisbon knew she was going to die.

**As always, if you feel so inclined, please let me know what you think. I will do my best to respond to each one. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes: First off, you all are fantastic. I am floored by all of the favorites, follows and wonderful reviews for this story. I never thought I would get this kind of a response, and I am thrilled that you all are enjoying this. Your positivity is inspiring! And my apologies in delivering this a bit later than I expected. I get distracted by shiny things.**

**Secondly, I am trying to respond to each of your reviews. I feel that it's the least I can do. To all of you who leave guest reviews, I want to take this time to thank you here, since I cannot respond to you personally. So, thank you!**

**One last thing: it was pointed out to me that the Colorado River does not go through Texas. While the Colorado River that runs through our beautiful Grand Canyon does not actually go anywhere near Texas, there is _another_ river, also named the Colorado, that does. And, it happens to go right through the center of Austin. You can see it on Google Maps, if you feel so inclined to check it out.**

**Anyway, enough of my babbling. I'm sure you want to know what happens next…**

He hadn't been able to tear his eyes away from hers. Ever since Cho had led him through the throng of agents about to be briefed, his focus remained on the jade orbs in front of him. Maybe, if he stared long enough, concentrated hard enough, they would magically transform into their real life counterparts. They would shine at him with their usual affectionate tolerance, and he would be able to laugh off the heavy cloud of dread that was beginning to infest his countenance.

Because it wasn't possible that this, whatever this was, could be real. It wasn't possible that Lisbon was gone. It wasn't possible that the last time he'd see her would be from the other side of a men's room door. It wasn't possible that when he'd made the choice to shut down his phone and laugh into liquid pools of chocolate brown, he'd chosen to forfeit that experience forever with his favorite shade of green. It was _not_ possible.

For a moment, Jane came back to himself. His feet seized on the opportunity and hurried him through the crowd to Abbott's side.

"What is this?" Jane asked, flinging his arm in the general direction of the board. "What the hell is going on?"

"You need to have a seat, Jane," Abbott replied, not once looking in Jane's direction. He shuffled some papers on his podium, tapped them to straighten them out, and set them down. And still, he did not turn his head.

"No, _you_ need to tell _me_ what the _hell_ is going on. Why is Lisbon on that damned board? What—"

It was then that Abbott did look up. The simmering anger in his expression stopped Jane mid-sentence.

"Jane. I am about to give this very specialized and highly-skilled group of agents the briefing that will provide them with information for one of their most important recovery operations. You want to know what's going on? Then take a seat and stop wasting my time." Abbott's eyes flicked briefly to the image of his agent on the board. "And hers."

Jane felt the blood drain from his face and this time, he was grateful when Cho once again reappeared at his side and escorted him to the cluster of chairs near Abbott's setup. He was sandwiched between Cho and Fischer. He knew that he would be as successful trying to wrangle information from Cho as he would be trying to get him to wear a foam cowboy hat and ride a mechanical bull, so he pressed his luck with the agent to his right.

"Kim, please. I need someone to give me something. Anything. Tell me what happened."

Fischer met his gaze, and the stubborn set of her jaw softened slightly as she got a look at his face. She closed her eyes and slightly shook her head, looking back down at her notes.

"We lost her, Jane. We all went in, and she didn't come out. I…we just…we lost her."

The panic that rose up in Jane would have surely burst forth if the lump that formed in his throat hadn't blocked it. That lump turned into a ball of lead and plummeted straight into his stomach as Abbott began to speak.

"At 8:00 last night, four members of my team, including myself, Agent Kimball Cho, Agent Kim Fischer and Agent Teresa Lisbon, along with 15 of Austin PD's SWAT division, conducted an organized raid on three warehouses on a set of private docks."

Abbott pulled up a satellite image of the docks on his board. "This," he pointed to a warehouse that sat nearly on the water's edge, "was the building assigned to Lisbon and three SWAT members, including Officer Heather Belding."

At that moment, the photo of a young officer filled Jane's vision. He hadn't even noticed her picture before, as he'd been so stricken by Lisbon's presence on the board. She was young, probably no more than 30. Her strawberry-blonde hair was pulled back into a sensible bun, tucked beneath her hat. Ice blue eyes stared directly into the camera, and her lips were pulled into a small smirk that seemed to defy anyone to accuse her of not earning her position.

"Agent Lisbon and Officer Belding, along with two other SWAT members, entered warehouse 1 at approximately 8:10 last night. Lisbon and Belding headed to the north edge of the warehouse. After a thorough search of the south half of warehouse 1, Officers Gostlin and Heffron exited the building and waited to reconnect with Lisbon and Belding. After ten minutes with no radio contact, Gostlin and Heffron re-entered the building and proceeded to sweep the north end."

Abbott paused to remove his glasses and pinch the bridge of his nose. Jane followed his every moment, not wanting to miss a detail, not daring to risk not hearing a single word. His heart felt like it was only moments away from bursting out of his chest. He couldn't wait to get out of his seat and _do_ something, yet he couldn't move.

"It appears," Abbott continued, "that whoever owns these buildings was either expecting us, or anticipating a run in with law enforcement at some point. Our communication system was disabled by an as yet unidentified device. Lisbon most likely called for assistance, but we were unable to hear her."

Abbott walked back over to the board, touching the screen and making Lisbon's picture appear next to Heather's. Jane was once again struck by the overwhelming need to move. He stood suddenly, attracting the attention of the crowd of agents.

"When are we leaving?"

The agent held Jane's gaze. "As soon as I'm done with my briefing. Now if you would just—"

"What's left to tell? We obviously have to go back and search the docks. You missed something—we need to go! Now!"

Once again, the two men engaged in a battle of wills. This time, however, Jane refused to back down. The tension in the room was almost palpable, until Abbott finally sighed and looked away.

"Fine," Abbot sighed. He gathered his papers together and motioned to the other agents to head out. "We'll finish the briefing en route. Jane, you're with me."

Jane turned and hurriedly made his way to the garage, only making it about ten steps before Abbott's hand landed heavily on his arm.

"I am going to make this very quick. You are not the only one here who wants to see a successful recovery here."

Jane opened his mouth to argue. Lisbon was more than just a _recovery_. Abbott silenced him with a quick hand gesture. "_However_, I would advise you to remember who is in charge here. I will allow this one indiscretion to go formally unaddressed because I understand the motivation behind your behavior. But what you need to understand is that it is my job to make sure that both Lisbon and Belding get home safely. This team is our best chance at a positive outcome for both of them. I am not going to take unnecessary risks to their safety, so if you cannot maintain some semblance of objectivity, I will remove you from this case. Don't test me."

The only sign that Jane was annoyed came from the slight clenching of his jaw. He gave Abbott a terse nod and headed towards the garage to join the rest of the team.

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The ride over to the docks was the longest car ride of Jane's life. Even with the sirens blaring and lights flashing, he felt like they were crawling along at a snail's pace. Abbott was droning on in his ear, as he finished his briefing, via speakerphone, to the agents in the other vehicles.

Jane tried to pay attention, he really did. But he didn't care about the specifics of what happened last night. As far as he was concerned, they were not going to help bring Lisbon home. What they needed to do was just get there and tear the damn place apart. And if that didn't work…

He swallowed, hard. If that didn't work, he didn't know what he would do. There had to be something there. He wasn't prepared to accept any other possibility.

His thoughts wandered to the last time he saw her, but more specifically, the look in her eyes as he went about procuring his company for the evening. At the time, he had been thrilled at the jealousy they were projecting. Now, they haunted him. Ghosts of their hurt and resignation drilled little pinpricks of pain into his soul.

What was wrong with him that he had been pleased to see her in pain? For so many years, he had been so reluctant to do the things that he knew would hurt her. Why was this time different? What kind of person did that make him? He wasn't sure he wanted to know.

What he did know, with absolute certainty, was that when they did find her, he would do whatever he could to make sure he never saw that look in her eyes again. Whatever direction their relationship might take, whether she wanted him or not, he would do his absolute best to bring her happiness. He'd just have to find her first.

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This time, when the caravan of SUVs reached the docks, there was nothing subtle or quiet in their arrival. Tires screeched on pavement, and agents poured from the vehicles with guns at the ready, their footsteps quick and calculated in a lethal ballet.

Jane was out of the car before Abbott could even shift into "park." Though he wasn't used to wearing a vest (another one of Abbott's victories for the day), he was still able to beat the rest of the team to the front of the warehouse door.

A sharp yell from Cho was the only thing that stopped him from yanking open the door and barreling through it like Rambo. Without the M60 machine gun.

Cho was the second one to reach the door. He nodded towards the building. "We need to secure the interior first. Once we're clear, we can search without getting out heads blown off. Wait here."

As much as it pained Jane wait, he recognized the logistics in Cho's words. Getting shot would not help Lisbon. So, he stood outside and waited. And waited. It was times like this where he wished he had been certified to carry a weapon. Not that he would be able to effectively use it in a high pressure situation, but it might at least get him in the door.

He was just about ready to start reciting the U.S. Presidents by height when he heard someone give the "all clear." When he entered the building, he immediately turned and headed to the area that Lisbon had been just a few hours before.

His eyes scanned the stacks of crates, the high metal walls, the wooden floors. There had to be a clue somewhere. What had she seen?

He watched the other agents scour the floors and walls, checking for trap doors and false walls. Other agents were prying open crates, and yet more agents were sweeping the area with high tech gadgets that Jane couldn't even guess the purpose of.

Twenty-five minutes later, they had still found nothing, and Jane's patience was wearing thin. He'd circled the north end of the building for the umpteenth time, and everything looked the same. With a frustrated sigh, he leaned against the nearest stack of crates. He looked toward the ceiling, almost ready to make a plea deal with whatever deity Lisbon believed in. It was then that he noticed something strange.

"Cho! Over here!"

Cho materialized at his side almost immediately. "What did you find?"

"Look," Jane pointed upwards, to the top of the stack of crates. "With the way these crates are stacked, it's very unlikely they would be able to stay upright. See? That top one sticks out just a little too much."

"Right. Let's get these crates open." After a couple of failed attempts, Cho stood back with a puzzled look on his face. "Any other ideas?"

By then, another group of agents, including Abbott, had gathered to see what was going on. At his inquiry, Jane repeated his observations. After he'd finished, Abbott hoisted himself up on the bottommost crate on left. Jane, taking his lead, went around to the right and did the same.

"Boss?" One of the other agents inquired. "What are you doing?"

"I want to tip this over. And if I can't, I want to find out why. I suggest everyone back up."

The agents did as they were told, and watched as Abbott and Jane tried to topple the crate to the ground. It wouldn't budge.

"There's got to be something here," Jane said. "None of the other crates are like this. That has to mean something."

He started feeling around the edges of the crates, searching for any abnormalities. Abbott saw what he was doing and started exploring the other side. Cho and Fischer joined in and took the bottom crates.

Within a few minutes, they heard a click, and the door that was hidden in the center of the stack swung open. Despite their triumph, no one smiled. With guns at the ready, they entered the door.

As they neared the bottom of the stairs, Jane noticed something that made his heart leap into his throat. On the floor, close to the wall, was a small pool of blood. It was no bigger than his teacup saucer, but it might as well have been an ocean for the fear it instilled in him. He pointed it out to Abbott.

"Yep, it's definitely blood. Fischer, take a sample and make sure our techs know this is their top priority. Everyone else, let's see what we can find."

A thorough search of the network of underground tunnels and rooms yielded nothing useful to aid them in finding Lisbon or Belding. It looked as if everything had been cleaned up and moved out. What were once most likely store rooms had been emptied, files moved and any residual traces erased. One of the tunnels ended in an abandoned house on the other side of the river, which was most likely how they had managed to move everything without being seen.

Abbott ordered a complete forensic sweep of the entire setup, but no one was optimistic that they would find anything useful. They headed back to their vehicles, energy drained and spirits low.

As they climbed back into the SUV, Fischer tried to be reassuring. "Jane, our crime scene techs are the best of the best. If there's something to find, they'll find it. We'll bring her home."

"But what if we don't, Kim? What if it's too late?"

Fischer looked away as Jane closed his eyes and leaned his head on the window. He felt as if his heart was splintering into tiny fragments. What if he had failed her this one last time? He'd taken so much for granted lately, something he'd sworn to never to again. Would he never get the chance to set things straight with her, to right all of his wrongs?

His fingers massaged his suddenly aching temples. He had to have that chance. There couldn't be any other outcome.

_Except, _his subconscious reminded him, _there could be._

The ringing of Abbott's cell phone broke him out of the beginning spirals of despair. After a brief conversation, Abbott radioed to the other vehicles to continue back to headquarters without them. He turned on the lights and sirens, pulled a U-turn, and proceeded to speed in the opposite direction. Off of Cho's questioning look, Abbott replied.

"That was Austin PD dispatch. They found Officer Belding."

**Here we go! Next up, the identity of Lisbon's kidnapper. Please review and let me know how I'm doing. Until next time! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Notes: Well, here we are in chapter 5! Thank you to those of you who are still with me. I work full time and am also a full time college student, so this past week has been quite busy. I wrote most of this chapter during my breaks between classes. Enjoy!**

**Wait, is this the one where the kidnapper is revealed? It is! I hope to surprise some of you—I was shocked at how many of you thought it was Volker. Personally, I think he might be behind what's going on in the show now, but as for here…**

Lisbon stared in shock at the face before her. How on earth was it possible that he was standing here in Austin, Texas, let alone at all? Her mind flashed back to the last time she'd seen him. It was the beginning of the end of one of the most terrifying times of her life, a time when she hadn't known who to trust or what to believe.

She'd felt guilty since their last encounter, believing she had inadvertently sent him off to be one of Red John's last victims. He had been just one more of the good cops that had fallen at the hands of a serial killer. But now…

"Ray," she breathed, still not trusting what her eyes were seeing. "Is that really you?"

Ray Haffner smirked at her as he walked closer to where she sat on the floor. "Come on now, Teresa. It hasn't been that long. I know I look a little different, but you…you look just the same." He crouched down in front of her and ran one of his gloved hands through her hair. "Beautiful, as always," he murmured, his eyes drilling into hers.

It took everything in her not to flinch away from his touch. If he still had some kind of feeling toward her, perhaps she could use it to her advantage. She just might make it out alive if she could keep her wits about her.

"How is it that you're alive?" she asked. "We found two bodies at Jane's house that night. We were sure you were—"

"Dead?" He spat out the word as if it left a vile taste in his mouth. "For all intents and purposes, the Ray Haffner you knew back then _is_ dead, Teresa. He's nothing more than a pathetic man buried in a cheap suit in some non-descript grave in Sacramento." He rose, pacing aggravatedly in front of her.

She took a moment to study him. His dark blonde hair was now an almost silvery white. The ice blue eyes that had once looked at her with respect and the smallest hint of attraction now beheld her with cold detachment and superiority. Small, thin white scars criss-crossed the left side of his face, running into his lip and around to the back of his neck.

He caught her staring at him and grinned sardonically down at her. "Like what you see?"

"What happened to you, Ray? How did you survive that blast?"

"The same way everybody else did, Teresa." He paused for a moment. "Well, nearly everyone, anyway. Stiles was already on his way out, so not much of a loss there. I still don't know who the poor sap was that played my part and frankly, I don't really care."

"You can't mean that."

"Don't interrupt, Teresa. It's rude." He stopped for a moment to glance in her direction. "I woke up in some dingy, shit hole of a room, in much the same manner as you are now. I'd figured that Tom had to be Red John. I recognized him from my time on the farm. Since he was the only other known Visualize member, it had to be him. Plus, he had that damn tattoo. The second I saw it, I figured I was a dead man. So, you can imagine my surprise when I wake up to find him sitting across from me, smiling like we're old buddies that haven't seen each other in years."

"What did he say to you?"

Ray walked over to her and before she could brace herself, her head snapped to the side with the force of the blow. Stars exploded behind her eyes and blood trickled into her mouth from her newly split lip.

"I will not tell you again. I don't like to be interrupted." His steel blue eyes glittered at her with malice. "Do you understand?"

She nodded her acquiescence, the slight movement costing her dearly as another wave of pain spread through her skull.

"Good." He nodded, and resumed his pacing, his steps quicker and more punctuated than before. "He told me that he recognized something of himself in me. He knew his game with Jane was coming to an end, and he wanted someone to help him tie up all of the loose ends. Namely, you and the rest of your team. He figured that enough of Jane had rubbed off on you that you wouldn't believe everything he would lay out for you. So, the easiest way to put an end to Red John would be to get rid of the rest of the people who might still believe he existed."

He stopped pacing to face her again, looking at her with a mixture of pity and disgust. "And you wouldn't have believed it, would you? God, you were so far gone. McAllister was right."

She shook her head, not daring to speak. He snorted in disbelief, and then dove back into his story.

"He offered me a choice. Either I could become one of his followers and help him finish up that chapter of his story, or he would put an end to my existence right then and there. He said that he knew I'd make the right choice, because he and I were so much alike. And you know what, Teresa? He was right. So, I decided to join him. Start over. And then the arrogant son of a bitch had to go off and get himself killed. He was so smart up until that last move. He just never really thought that Jane would get the better of him."

"So," he shrugged, "there I was. New identity, new opportunity and you know what? I decided to take it. I came out of that whole shit storm alive and I was going to make the most of my new found freedom."

"By becoming a murdering drug dealer? I would have thought that was beneath you, Ray." Before she could stop herself, the words flew out of her mouth. She steeled herself for the blow that she was sure was coming, but instead, his hand found its way to the opposite side of her face, his thumb gently moving back and forth over her cheek.

"At one time, I would have agreed with you," he said softly. "But you know what I've learned, Teresa? Being a good guy doesn't pay your bills. It doesn't always put food on your table. You put yourself in the same kinds of risks, and for what? To go back to some dimly lit apartment building in the middle of a mildly seedy neighborhood? I've got three houses now! We could go to Italy if you wanted, Teresa. I've got a plane that can get us there in no time. I could barely afford a Ford Focus on that pittance the state paid me. This is a much more lucrative career."

"So why kidnap me, Ray? What benefit does this have for you now? Why not come after me years ago?"

"Actually, this was a happy little coincidence. I had a feeling that the locals were closing in on us. There'd been some chatter in the ranks about a potential raid that was about to go down on our place on the river. I thought I'd have a little more time before you guys came swarming in. I really had no idea that you were with the Feds, Teresa, let alone here in Austin. You can imagine my surprise when I saw it was you who busted down my door. I figured it must be fate."

"So what happens now, Ray? What are you planning to do with me?"

"To be honest, I wasn't really sure at first. I let Officer Belding go as a form of assurance. It's always good to cover your bases. I know how this game works. I let her go, your friends at the FBI are more willing to work with me if I have any demands. But, here's the thing. I realize I don't have any demands. I have everything I need. They have no idea who I am. I gathered that based on your genuine surprise at seeing me. And because you've seen me, I'm faced with a unique dilemma."

"Which is what?"

"You can identify me, of course. Not just who I am now, but who I used to be. And despite all evidence that I am dead, Jane will believe you. Then, he will convince the rest of your team to believe you, which will really put a damper on my new lifestyle. So, I'm going to offer you the same deal that was offered to me all those years ago."

Lisbon swallowed hard. She did not like where this was going. Not one bit.

"Come with me, Teresa. Work for me, work with me. I may have everything I need, but I want the companionship of a woman who is my equal. Or at least close to my equal. All the women in this business are either idiots, junkies, or rivals. You would be none of those."

"Why on earth would you think that I would even consider this?"

"What other option do you have? Think about it, Teresa. You could come with me and have the life you've always dreamed of. I guarantee you'd be happy, eventually."

"What makes you think I wouldn't try to escape?"

He looked at her with a dumbfounded expression, then rolled his eyes. "Really? I thought you'd be smart enough to figure that one out on your own. Jane, Teresa. It comes down to Jane. He may not love you, but you most certainly still love him. Every minute you stay with me is one minute he's still breathing. I would have thought that was fairly obvious."

Shit. That's what she'd thought. She'd just really, really been hoping he wouldn't go there. "And if I refuse your offer?"

"It's simple. If you refuse, you die. I know it doesn't sound like the greatest option, but there really is no other way that works out in my favor."

He knelt down before her once more, gazing into her eyes. She didn't see the slightest trace of her old friend. Instead, she saw a man secure in his triumph.

"I know it's a big decision, Teresa. I'll give you a little time to think over it. I'll be back in a while."

With that, he stood and walked out the door, shutting and locking it behind him. The sound of the dead bolt sliding into place seemed to echo abnormally loudly in the silence of her prison cell.

Lisbon leaned heavily against the wall, closing her eyes against the sudden dread that threatened to overtake her. Her shoulders ached, her head was throbbing, and her lip felt like it was on fire. All of that was nothing compared to the hollowness invading her soul.

The sudden growling of her stomach startled her so much, she let out a small yelp. She really shouldn't have skipped breakfast this morning. Or was it yesterday? She really had no idea how long she'd been here, but she knew she hadn't eaten in a while. Her stomach should be used to it by now. There were times, during tougher cases, that she would simply forget to grab something to nourish herself, her mind so preoccupied with looking over one more file or running one more background check or making one more phone call.

Jane would somehow always know, even before she did, that her body would need nourishment. He would show up in her office with a sandwich and a smile, and stay with her until she ate the whole thing, whether it took her five minutes or two hours. She was secretly thrilled that someone knew her well enough, or cared enough about her to make sure that she was eating right.

_Jane._ She had tried her very hardest not to think about him throughout this whole ordeal, but now, her resolve and her body weakened, thoughts of him flooded her mind. He had to know she was missing by now. How was he holding up? Was he freaking out, or was he so confident they'd find her that he was treating this just like any other case, pissing off suspects and stirring up trouble?

That wasn't fair. Her feelings for Jane might be unrequited, but he was still her friend. He and the team were probably doing everything they could to find her.

Her thoughts drifted to Heather. Lisbon hoped she was all right. If there was one silver lining to all of this, it was that at least one of them had made it out.

She wondered how long Ray was going to give her to make her "decision." Maybe she could try to convince him to turn himself in. Maybe she could reach the man that she was sure was still in there.

In her mind, she saw Jane's face as he rolled his eyes at her. Okay, it was a stupid idea. If Ray had really wanted to give her the opportunity to get out of this, he wouldn't have revealed his identity to her. Seeing his face had sealed her fate.

Sighing, she shifted her position on the floor once again. She had made her decision. Who was she kidding? There never was a decision to make in the first place. Now, all she had to do was wait for Ray to come back and let her know how she was going to die.

**Well, was anyone surprised? Anyone? The action is going to pick up in the next chapter! See you then! As always, I would love to know how I'm doing!**


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